Printing machine



AP 9,1940. :1 p. KLOPFENSTEIN PRINTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1l v Filed uch 1. 19:57

on nm Nn Ap 9, 1.940 D. KLOPFENSTEIN IVRINTING MACHINE Filed March l, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 @web n INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

April 9, 1940.

J. D KLoPf-ENSTEIN PRINTING MACHINE Filed March 1,' 19:57

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 9, 1940- J. D. KLoPFENsTElN 2,196,678

PRINTING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1957- 4-1 sheets-sheet 4 D ODODODOCOBOOO I KZopfenSte'Ln INVENTOR. BY A70C. 2%

MT'ORNEY.y

PstenieaApeaImo y I' Y y.2,196,678

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE rnm'rING MACHINE Jesse D. Klopfenstein, Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor to Colorgraphic Corporation, av corporation of Illinois l Application March I, 1937,' serial No.v 128,310

` 1o oIaims. v.(01. lor- 123) The invention relates to printing machines Referring to the illustrative drawings, the and it is particularly directed to machines main frame of themachine is marginal in charadapted to apply paint through stencil screens. acter and is formed of corner upright members In a copending application for Ia printing ma- I, longitudinal top rails 2, lower rails 3 and a 5 chine wherein paint is applied through stencil suitable number of transverse rails or beams 4 5 screens, the screen is held stationary `and the for rigidity. 'I'he top of the machine may be sheet to be imprinted is fed by ay carrier onto a A- covered except in its central portion where an platen which raises the sheet into contact with" opening is formed to receive the table or platen the screen. A reciprocating squeegee forces the v6 (Figs. 11, 12) that is supported on two arms 10 printing material, which is generally a form of 'I atlthe opposite sides thereof, the arms being 10 paint, through the screen onto the sheet.. 1 pivotedl attheir forward or free ends at 8 to the I have found it to be important that the dmmain frame. A link 9 (Fig. 1) is connected to printed sheet shall readily separate fromtheA the lower side of the'table 6, a second link I0, screen as the platen lowersat the completion of pivotally .connected to the link 9 and to the l5 the stroke of the squeegee and be carried from frame-member 3, forming a toggle to which the 1 v the platen so to permit the next sheet to engage linkil is connected. The latter link is connectthe platen. Some paints, such as enamel or laced to-the link i2 which is connected to a lever quer, cause the sheet to cling more or less to the 4I3 carrying a roller I4 that bears on a cam l5 screen so that their separation is retarded and mounted on the main drive shaft I6, by all which blurring of the imprinted matter frequentlyvoethe table is rocked on its pivots.

curs. l vThe top wall H of the table (Fig. 11) is per- The object of the present invention is to Vproforated and a. wall I8 cooperates with the wall I1 vide a stencil printing mechanism with means by to form a suction chamber lbetween them to which the separation ofv the imprinted sheet which a conduit i9 is connected. The conduit from the stencil isl effected with rapidity and leads to a pump 20, a valve 2| being interposed 25 blurring of the imprinted matter is avoided. in the conduit and operated by a lever 22 which Another object is to provide a rocking stencil' .is rocked by a cam 23mounted on the main shaft screen support for the machine. i6. The pump is driven in any suitable manner.-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of'a machine em- In Figs. il and 12, for clearness, the conduit I9 bodying the invention. is shown as leading forwardly from the central 3o 'Fig. 2 is a plan view of the screen-carrying `portion of the table. In practice, the conduit frame. will so lead from the table to the pump that it Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the said frame. will not interfere with the movement of the con- Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of Fig.A 3. veyer that consists of two chains 24 and a series Fig. 5 is an end view of the squeegee and side of gripper-carrying bars 25 each of which is at- 35 elevation ofthe operating mechanism therefor, tachedat its opposite ends to the chains re- Fig. 6 is a cross-section o n line 6--6 of Fig. y5. Spectively. Fig. '7 is a plan view of the timing gear as.. The conveyer chains engage the rear sprocket sembly. Y wheels 26 and the sprocket wheels 21 mounted on 40 Fig, s is a cross section on line 8-3 of Fig. '71. ka shaft 28. A sprocket Wheel 29 on the shaft 4o Fig. 9 is a front view of the mechanism for 20 is engaged by a chain 30l which passes over the conveyor. Y a x an idler sprocket 3l and is driven by the sprocket Fig. 10 is aside elevation of said mechanism. Y wheel 32. mounted 0n a Spindle 33. Fig. '7. and Fig. 11 is a plan view of the machine with the driven intermittently by the gear 34 of a set of squeegee and screen mechanismstrem'oved and timingvgears 34, 35 and 36. K

illustrating the table or platen. order to check the movement of the con-v Fig. 12 is a cross section of the table or platen veyer after, each revolution of the gear 34. I on line |2-I2 of Fig. 11. mount a member 31, Fig. 10, on the shaft i6 and Fig. 13 is a side view of the alining and lockpivotally mount thereon two pairs of arms 38, 39. ing mechanism for the cross-bars of the con- Each pairy of arms supports an angle bar 40, 4I 50 veyor, and I i Y y at their outer, ends, the bars being on corre- Fig. 14 is a side view of one of the retainingv Vsponding sides"`o"i the arms. Springs 42 oppose band supports, and Fig. 15 is an edge view part- .outward movement of the arms and the stops 43 A ly in section of a part of the squeegee reciprolimit the inward movement of the arms. The eating mechanism. v Y' bar .40 is shown as contacting a gripper bar 25 55 and it tends to snub the conveyer as the gear 34 stops. The bar 49 moves downwardly and the bar 4| moves upwardly, as shown in broken lines, into the path of the next gripper bar 25 and starts the movement of the conveyer as the gear is again set in motion. Jerking and jarring of the conveyer is thereby avoided.

On the top longitudinal members of the main frame and at opposite sides of the table are mounted the racks 44 which are adapted to be engaged by the curved racks 45 mounted on the curved screen-carrying support 46, Figs. 2, 3. The stencil screen is stretched on a frame 41 that is capable of conforming to the curvature of the support and secured thereto. A bracket 48 is secured to the support 46 and is connected by the link 49 eccentrically to the gear 5| that is driven by the timing gears. As the gear rotates, its motion, through the link, causes the screen-carrying support to rock to and fro on the racks 44 so that the screen, as it were, is peeled o i the imprinted sheet on the table beneath it. The imprinting material is applied to the stencil screen by the squeegee mechanism 52, Figs. 5, 6.

The squeegee mechanism consists of two'blades 53, 54 mounted on a frame 55 and projecting in opposite directions with respect. to the longitudinal axis of said frame. The'arms 56 depend from the opposite ends of the frame 55 and the studs ,51' are mounted in the lower ends of the arms respectively. The plates 58 are mounted on the studs and their upper ends embrace the opposite edges of the arms 56 respectively. Two other arms 59, 60 are secured to the opposite ends of the frame 55 each having a pin 6| project/ing therefrom that is adapted to 'engage in a cam slot 62 formed in the adjacent plate 58. A second slot 63 is formed in the arm 59 and receives the adjacent stud 51. A cam 64 is formed on the lower end of the arm 59 and is adapted to be engaged alternately by the abutments 65 mounted on a slidable bar 66. Aylink 61 connects the bar to a sprocket wheel 68' that is intermittently driven through the chain 69 by a sprocket 10 mounted on the spindle 33 of the timing gear 34. The rotating sprocket 68 causes the bar to reciprocate intermittently which causes the abutments to rock the squeegee frame for alternately engaging the blades with the screen.'

The links 1| are mounted on the studs 51 respectively and are pivotally connected to the levers 12 mounted at their lower ends on a shaft 13 to which 4a crank 14 is secured. A link 15 connects the crank to the crank 50 that is mounted eccentrically on the gear 5| by which'oscillation of the lever is effected to reciprocate the squeegee frame with the blades in contact alternately with the screen. The tripping bar 66 is so timed in its movements that at the end of a stroke of the squeegee frame the abutment then engaging the cam 64 on the arm 59 is caused to rock the frame so as to engage the idle squeegee blade on the screen. Each squeegee blade follows the curvature of the screen as it travels from one end of it to the other and forces the imprinting material deposited on the screen through the same onto the sheet to be printed. l

A segment rack 16 is intermittently rocked in opposite directions by the crank 14 and is engaged by a segment gear 11 revolubly mounted on the bracket 18 that supports the shaft 13. A link 19 is pivotally connected at its upper end to an arm 80 which is secured to the plate 58 of the squeegee frame, a similar arm being similarly connected to the other plate 58. The lower end of each link 19 is pivoted to a crank 8| secured to the shaft of the gear 11. When the crank 14 is rocked downwardly to rock the lever 12 rearwardly, or to the right, Fig. 1, the rack 16 'rocks to the right and causes the gear 11 to turn to the left. The crank 8| is thereby rocked downwardly and draws down on the link 19 whereby the arm 86 is maintained in substantially a straight line as the lever 12 reciprocates the squeegee mechanism rearwardly. TheV upward movement of the crank 14 reverses the movement of the several connections to the squeegee mechanism and causes it to move forwardly. The'links 19 again tend to maintain the arms 80 in a horizontal position.

A bar 82, one at each side of the squeegee frame and spaced vertically from the roller 83 mounted on the end arms 56, is pivoted at its lower end to a linkage-84 which connects to a pedal 85. The forward end of the bars 82 carry pins 86 which slide in the slots 81 formed in the plates 88 mounted on the main frame. By rocking the pedal the bars 82 are caused to engage the rollers 83 and elevate the squeegee frame so that neither squeegee blade will contact the screen and force any of the imprinting material through the screen onto the material deposited on the table by the conveyer or onto the table if no material has been brought to thetable by the conveyer.

In order to further assure the ready separation of the ,screenf from the imprinted material, I attach the ends of a band 89 to the brackets 99 which are slidably mounted on the rods 9| supported by the flanges 92 on the opposite top members of the main frame. The band is adapted to contact the sheet of material that is car- 'ried by the conveyerunder the screen and raised into contact with the screen and band by the table. The band, of course, will be adjusted on the rods 9| so that it will contact the sheet without interfering with the area thereof to be printed. After thesheet is printed theitable lowers and the.conveyer removes the sheet, and

another sheet takes itsplace, the conveyer travelling in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1l.

vIn order to aline each gripper bar 25 so that the sheet of material carried by it will be in registration for imprinting, I revolubly support a shaft 95 on the table supporting arms, 1, Figs.

, 11, 12, 13, at a suitable-point forwardly of the table and secure thereto a suitable number of ngers 99. A depending arm 91 ls secured to the shaft 96 and a spring 98 is connected to the arm and to the table structure and opposes forward swinging movement of the arm relatively to the forward end of the table. To each end of the shaft 95 is secured a member 99 having an arm |09 carrying an adjusting screw IIII. The members and their arms are located below the bottoni flange of the main frame members 2 that as the table rises .the adjusting screws will eventually and at `the proper time abut the said flanges of members 2 and cause the shaft 95 to turn clockwise thereby swinging the fingers 96 to a vertical position. By the time this movement of the fingers begins the approaching gripper bar has or is about to cometo rest adjacent to the forward edge or the table. 'rhenngers abut the bar and move it into engagement with the forward end of the table thereby assuring that the sheet conveyed by the bar is properly located on the table for registration with the screen.

The gripper: 26' on the bars 25 are opened vet and closed in any convenient manner as each bar arrives at the feed table 93, and they are again opened and closed at the discharge end of the machine to release the printed sheet.

The main shaft is driven by the electric motor 5 or other source of power, through a belt and the pulley 5.

What I claim is:

1. In a printing mechanism, a` rocking stencil screen, ya movable table below the screen and adapted to elevate sheets of material successively for rocking contact by the screen, means totemporarily retain each sheet on the table and areciprocating' mechanism to force imprinting material through the screen onto the sheets, said mechanism including an oscillating'frame, a pair of squeegees supported by the frame, the members of the pair being declined in opposite directions and means to cause said squeegees to alternately engage the screen and comprising a member depending from the frame and a pair of reciprocable abutments adapted to be alternately engaged by said latter member at the completionv of the strokes of the mechanism respectively.

2. In a stencil-screen printing machine, an

`arcuate rocking stencil screen, a squeegee mechanism comprising a frame carrying a depending blade4 adapted to engage the screen, two arms at opposite ends of the frame respectively on which the frame is mounted, a pair of levers having pivotal linked connection with the arms respectively forreciprocating the arms and the frame, apair of members rigidly secured to the arms and projecting forwardly therefrom, links connected to,v the members and means to cause the latter links to move in a direction opposite to that of the levers whereby the frame is caused to reciprocate in substantially a straight line.

A3In a printing machine,..a stencil -screen,--a table movable toward the screen, a-conveyer to intermittently carry sheets of material to the table successively and including a series of transverse gripper bars, each bar coming to rest forwardly of the table and means to positively aline each gripper bar with the table and comprising a rock shaft carried by the table, upwardly projecting ngers on the shaft, fixed members andmeans secured to the shaft and adapted to abut the xed members, as the table moves toward the screen, for rocking the fingers into engagement with the gripper bars and contacting said bars with the forward end of the table.

.4. In' a printing machine, a main frame, a pair of racks mounted at oppositesides of the top of the frame, a longitudinally curved frame having racks on its lower side adapted to rock in the said racks on the main frame respectively, a main drive shaft, a set of gears having driven connection with the shaft, a link connected to one of the gears and to the curved frame for rocking the frame inopposite directions, a flat/stencil screencarrying frame adapted to be secured to the curved frame and conformed thereto, a squeegee mechanism adapted to travel back and forth on the stencil screen and means to feed sheets of material successively under the screen for rocking engagement thereby.

5. In a printing machine, a table, a conveyer to carry sheets of material successively to and froml the table, means to intermittentlydrive the conveyer, a stench screen, means to produce relative movement between .the table and the screen for engagement of the sheets by the screen, means to force imprinting material through the screen onto theslieets, means to retard the conveyer at the end ofeach intermittent movement thereof and means to store up energy which is then utilized to initiate motion inthe conveyer at the beginning of each succeeding movement thereof.

6. In a printing machine, a table, a conveyer to carry sheets of material successively to and from the table, means to intermittently drive the conveyer, and means to retard the conveyer at the end ofeah intermittent movement thereof and to initiate the next succeeding movement thereof and comprising a revolubly mounted member, two members pivotally mounted on the revolubly mounted member and adapted to alternately resiliently contact the conveyer.

7. In a printing machine, a table, a conveyer to carry sheets of material successively to and from the table, means to intermittently drivethe conveyer and means to retard the conveyer at the end of each intermittent movement thereof and to initiate the next succeeding movement thereof and comprising a revolubly mounted member, two members on opposite sides of the revolubly mounted member and pivoted to the latter member adapted to alternately engage the conveyer and resilientmeans opposing the pivoted movedirection.

Y. 8. In -a printing machine, a support, a longitudinally curved ,frame adapted to rock on the support, means to prevent bodily creeping of said curved frame on the support during such rocking movements, a main drive shaft, a set of gears having driven connection with said shaft, a link connected to one of the gears and to the curved frameffor rocking the frame in opposite directions, a at stencil screen-carrying frame adapted to be secured to the curved frame and conformed thereto, a squeegee mechanism adapted to travel back and forth on the stencil screen and means to feed sheets of material successively under the sci-een for rocking engagement thereby.

9. In a printing machine, a support, a longitudinally curved frame adapted torock on the support, means to prevent bodily creeping of said curved frame on the support during such rocking movements, a main drive shaft, a driving connection between said shaft and the curved frame for rocking the frame in opposite directions, a flat stencil-carrying frame adapted to be secured to forth on the stencil screen and means to feed sheets of material successively under the screen for rocking engagement thereby.

10.4 In a printing machine, a support, a pair of racks mounted on the support, la longitudinally curved frame havinglracks'adapted to rock in the racks on the support, a main drive shaft, a driving connection between said shaft and the curved frame for rocking the frame in opposite directions, a fiat stencil screen-carrying frame adapted to be secured to the curved frame and conformed thereto, a squeegee mechanism adapted` to travel back and forth on the stencil screen under the screen for rocking enagement thereby.

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